Well swabbing device



June 5, 1934. J. w. GILL 1,961,513

WELL SWABBING DEVICE Filed July s1, 195o I hll,

Patented June 5, 1934 Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WELL SWABBING DEVICEJohn W. Gill, Medina, Ohio, assignor of one-half to R. G. Dreher,Medina., Ohio- Application July 31, 1930 Serial No. 472,141

1 Claim. (Cl. ISO- 53) This invention relates to a vehicle particularlybe clutched together when the gear 11 is moved adapted for the swabbingof oil wells, and the like. to its rearmost position.

In the operation of oil wells and the like, it is The ends of theseshafts may be supported in a frequently found advantageous to clean theinbearing member 15 carried by a cross frame miemu terior of the wellcasing, by what is known as a ber 4. The motion for moving gear 11 istrans- 00 swabbing operation. This operation consists of mitted to thegear through a sleeve 11a by means lowering a weighted swab down thecasing, and, of a handle 16. VThe propeller shaft enters a of course,drawing it up therefrom. It has been diiferential casing 17 secured tothe side frame customary, to effect this operation, to take aportmembers and drives, through differential gearing able winch to thecasing, lowering the swab on therein, two transverse shafts 18. Each ofthese 05 the end of a cable, and reeling in the cable by shafts isprovided on its outer end with asprocket means of the winch, after whichthe winch is 19 and chain 20, connecting the sprockets to carried toanother Well, and the operation resprockets 21 secured to the rearwheels. n peated. When the clutch members l2 and 13V are en- An objectof the invention is to provide an imgaged with each other, it will beseen that the 70 proved automotive vehicle which may be convehicle maybe propelled in an ordinary manveniently driven from well to well, andby which ner, its speed controlled by the clutch and transthe drivingmotor may be caused to operate the mission, as well as by its fuelcontrol. swab. Mounted upon the rear end of the frame are Other objectswill hereinafter appear. two supporting brackets 22 and 23 having bear-I5 ,The invention will be better understood from ings 24 in which isjournalled a transverse shaft the description of the embodimentillustrated in 25. Rotatably carried upon the shaft is a cable theaccompanying drawing, in which: drum 26 provided with a cable 27 andwhich may Figure 1 is a perspective View of the vehicle embe locked tothe shaft by a clutch 28 carried adbodying the invention. jacent thebracket 23. Also, at this end of the 80 Figure 2 is a fragmentary planview of the drum, a brake 29 is provided to restrain or precable drumand associated parts; and vent rotation of the drum with respect to theFigure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the bracket, the clutch and brakebeing controlled by clutch mechanism for connecting the motor with ahandle 30. Within the bracket 22 is housed 30 the Wheels or cable drum.a worm Wheel 31 keyed to the transverse shaft 85 The vehicle isillustrated as supported upon a and in mesh with this worm wheel is aworm 32 pair of dirigible front wheels 1, and motor driven carried uponand keyed to a forwardly extendrear wheels 2. Upon the wheels issupported a ing shaft 33, the forward end of which is jourframeconsisting of side frame members 3 and nalled upon the frame andprovided with a gear 35 transverse members 4, in general similar to an34. This gear or pinion is caused to mesh with 90 automobile or tractorframe. This may be conthe gear 11 when the former is moved into itsnected to the axles 5 and 6 of the pairs of wheels forward position, atwhich time obviously the in any well known or desired manner, eitherclutch jaws 12 and 13 are disengaged, so that rigidly or resiliently.The rear Wheels 2 may be the motor may be caused to drive the transverseprovided with transverse cleats or lugs similar to shaft 25 through theusual clutch and transmis- 95 those used by tractors. sion, and, by theoperation of clutch 30, to rotate The steering mechanism (not shown) isprothe drum for reeling'V in the cable. vided for the control of thefront wheels. Upon If the transmission used is one which has four theforward part of the frame is mounted a motor speeds ahead, it will beobvious that the drum 7 provided at its rear witha clutch through whichmay be rotated with any of the pairs of driv- 100 i the motor drives thegearing of a transmission ening gears engaged, so that there will befour gear closed in a transmission housing 8, the gears of ratiosthrough which the drum may be driven. the transmission being manipulatedby a gear This is particularly advantageous as differing shift lever 9.The driven shaft 10 of the transconditions in different wells and thedifferent opmission extends but a short distance behind the erations,such as those known as swabbing, bail- 105 transmission casing and hassplined to it a spur ing, spudding, require many variations in the gear11 formed at its rear end with clutch faces speed at which the cable isreeled in. or jaws l2 adapted to be selectively engaged with Inoperation, the swab is attached to the end similar clutch jaws 13 formedon the forward end of the cable 27, the drum released from its shaft 'J5of a propeller shaft 14, so that the two shafts may by the operation ofclutch 30, and the swab al- `1l0` lowed to drop down the Well, the drumrotating freely on its shaft and its rotation controlled by brake 29.When it is desired to draw the swab up the well, it is simply necessarylto clutch the drum at its shaft and drive this shaft by the vehiclemotor in the direction to reel in the cable. The Vehicle, in beingpropelled, drives both rear Wheels through the differential mechanism,and the drum may be locked and retained in stationary position by meansof Aits brake.

While I have described the illustrated lembodiment of my invention insome particularity, this is done by Way of illustration only, it beingobvious that many other embodiments will readily occur to those skilledin this art, and I do not, therefore, limit myself to ythe precisedetails shown and described, but claim as my invention all embodimentscoming Within thescope of the appended claim.

sei

the rear of the winch drum will lie to the rear of the axle and `frame,a longitudinally extending shaft carried by the frame, a gear upon saidshaft and engageable with the rst mentioned gear to be rotated by themotor, a worm fixed to said shaft, a worm wheel secured to the Winchmeshing therewith, and a brake controlling the rotation of the Winch.

JOHN W. GILL.

